The Cowboy's Summer Love (4 page)

When he first returned home, right before Christmas, being back on the ranch was enough excitement. Cady and Trey got engaged and then married on New Year’s Day, followed by Cass’ official adoption into the Thompson family.

Getting back into the swing of ranching and farming took up his thoughts and time. Cady and Trey took a belated honeymoon in February, leaving him and Trent to take care of Cass and hold down the fort for almost two weeks. He got involved helping Trent pursue Lindsay. They had a busy calving season and then spring ranch work began. They were finished putting up the first cutting of hay and the work with the cattle was limited, so he felt tension continually coiling inside him without more work to keep him occupied.

Bull riding or racing cars helped temporarily alleviate that tension. If he didn’t do something to blow off a little steam, he grew restless and cranky.

The other day he snapped at Cass for no reason and she’d cried for an hour, completely distraught one of her heroes yelled at her. He didn’t want to do that to her, to be the kind of insensitive jerk who made babies cry. So he continually sought ways to take off that edge without hurting the people he loved.

Always a daredevil, Travis knew a lot of people thought he hadn’t changed a bit in the last seven years. The truth of the matter was that he barely recognized the person he used to be compared with who he was now. The carefree, self-centered boy was long gone, replaced by a man intent on meeting his responsibilities and protecting those he loved. Right now, he knew the person they needed protected from the most was him.

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“Why didn’t you tell me about your plans this morning? I would have driven myself to work instead of getting dragged half-way around the countryside tonight,” Tess said, glaring at Brice in irritation. After a long day at work with several challenging patients, Tess was ready to go home and relax.

Instead, here she was riding with Brice to Spray, Oregon, of all places, to watch Travis ride in a rodeo. Since Brice and Tess both commuted to The Dalles to work each day, they often rode together. Dressed in her work uniform of scrubs, Tess couldn’t believe Brice was forcing her to go.

“It’s fine, Tess. We won’t be home that late,” Brice said, giving her one of the smiles he knew always got her to agree to his plans. “Besides, you need to get out more.”

“Be that as it may, I certainly don’t need to get out more on a work night dressed in scrubs. Honestly, Brice. If you were planning to make me go, couldn’t you have given me a little warning so I could have at least changed clothes? Do you really think anyone else will be at the rodeo wearing bright pink scrubs? I’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”

“They’ll just wonder who the hottie is in the nurse’s uniform,” Brice teased. “Tess, you look fine. Don’t worry so much.”

“I look like an idiot and you know it. Next time you make plans without telling me you better be prepared to face the consequences,” Tess warned, giving Brice one of the looks guaranteed to make him squirm. Over the years of defending herself against her brothers, and quite often the Thompson tribe, she learned to hold her ground.

“Yes, ma’am,” Brice said, trying to look properly subdued.

“Now, what time does this rodeo start and are you sure we’ll even get there in time to watch Travis?” Tess asked, glancing at her watch. They left The Dalles shortly after four and it was a good three-hour drive to Spray.

“Yep. The rodeo starts at seven and you know as well as I do that bull riding is last on the agenda. I thought we’d swing into Biggs and fuel up before hitting the road again.”

“Fine. You can leave me there and I’ll have Mom or Dad come get me,” Tess said, envisioning an escape route.

“No can do. I don’t want to drive by myself and I like having you along,” Brice said, acknowledging he and Tess got along better than they probably should. Born not even a year apart, Brice knew they could have grown up fighting a lot and resenting each other. Instead, he felt closer to Tess than he did their older brother Ben, who was currently working for a barge company based out of Portland. Brice was excited when Tess decided to take the physical therapist job in The Dalles and move home for a while, at least until their mom’s wrist healed completely. “You know Travis will be thrilled to have you watching from the stands.”

“I know nothing of the sort,” Tess said, trying to ignore the little pang of excitement that shot through her.

Travis always had a variety of talents and hobbies He somehow managed to come up with a look that matched whatever interest he was pursuing at the time. She’d seen him dressed as everything from a ski bum and preppy school kid to grunge rocker and athlete. Her favorite way to picture Travis, though, was in cowboy mode.

 It was in that persona that he seemed most at ease with himself and in his own skin. Tess thought being a cowboy and ranching was at the very core of who he really was. Photos Brice shared when he was in the Army showed Travis looking all spit and polished, but there was just something about him on the ranch wearing his faded Wranglers, scuffed boots and old Stetson that tugged at her heartstrings. It had since she was old enough to notice boys.

Tonight, she’d get to see him in full gear right in the thick of the action.

And she’d be sitting there wearing bright pink scrubs and her comfy, but not particularly stylish, work shoes. Her irritation at Brice’s lack of planning rose to the surface again as he pulled into a service station at Biggs. While he fueled the truck, Tess ran into McDonalds and ordered them dinner, hurrying back out just as he finished up.

“Did you get extra fries?” Brice asked as she climbed in loaded down with bags of food and big cups of iced tea.

“Don’t I always?” Tess asked with a smile. It was fun to spend time with Brice. She had thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him better on their commutes to and from work. Although they were siblings, there was a lot they learned about each other in those talks, things she knew they’d never discuss if they hadn’t been stuck in a vehicle together two hours a day.

It was a little after seven when they pulled into the rodeo parking area. Tess looked down at her scrubs and released one more sigh before she picked up her purse and put on some lip gloss.

Feeling a little remorse, Brice came around and opened her door. Taking her hand, he gave it a squeeze.

“You look great,” Brice said as they walked to the gate to purchase their tickets.

“You’re a very good liar,” Tess whispered as he paid their admission and steered her toward their seats. A couple of guys Brice knew saved them a space on the top row closest to the chutes, so they could get a great view of the action. The guys gave her a nod as she and Brice sat down on the end of the row.

Tess loved to go to rodeos and liked watching all the events from the kids’ mutton bustin’ right on to the bull riding. Brice went to get them a pop and a snack during the team roping event and the two guys that saved the seats moved closer.

“So, you’re with Brice?” the lankier of the two asked. Tess thought Brice introduced him as Ken.

“Yes, I am,” she said, not taking her eyes from the ropers in the arena. Technically, she was with Brice. Not in the way Ken was referring, but if they weren’t smart enough to see she and Brice looked alike, she certainly wasn’t going to set him straight.

“And you’re a nurse?” the other one asked, leaning around his friend to get a better look at her. Tess knew she didn’t look her best. She had her hair pulled up in a clip at the back of her head and after a long day of work, her scrubs were less than fresh and pristine. Not only that, but she wasn’t one of those wispy girls who ate celery and crackers for every meal. Although Tess used to worry about her weight and being a little plump, she finally realized she was never going to be a skinny girl and people would either accept her or not. Once she accepted herself and gained confidence in who she was, it seemed others did as well.

“Physical therapist,” she said, glancing around hoping Brice was on his way back. The two guys next to her had been downing beer like it was the night before prohibition went into effect and they were making her nervous.

“So you do massages and that kind of thing?” Ken asked, looking at her in a way that made the hair on the back of her neck prickle.

“Yes,” she said, turning her attention back to the ropers.

“You can work your magic on me anytime, hon,” Ken said, sliding close enough she wrinkled her nose at his smell. “Wanna start tonight?”

“She won’t be doing any such thing,” a deep voice said from in front of her. Tess raised her head, startled to see Travis. He looked even better than she imagined in his snug Wranglers, western shirt and scuffed boots. He wore a black Stetson and already had his spurs and chinks buckled into place. He turned and sat down beside her in the small space Ken left between the two of them. The scents of horse, leather, spicy aftershave and enticing man floated around Tess. Ken and his friend slid down the bleachers, leaving plenty of room next to Travis. “And don’t call her hon. She’s particular about what people call her, aren’t you Miss Morgan?”

“Yes, I am,” Tess said, circling her hand around Travis’ bulging bicep and giving it a squeeze, letting him know she was grateful for the rescue. The contact sent a flash of fire through her fingers directly to her stomach, but she ignored it, thankful Travis arrived when he had.

Travis leaned back and smiled at her, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world although Tess’ touch on his arm was searing through his shirt right down to his bones.

“I saw Brice down at the concession stand and he said he dragged you here tonight kicking and screaming. I had to come see if you looked as battle-weary as he does,” Travis teased. Giving her a once over, he grinned. “You look pretty good to me.”

“You’re almost as good at lying as Brice,” Tess said, not knowing whether to be exasperated by Travis’ teasing or relieved. “I look like a hot pink mess and I’ll thank you to not mention it again.”

 “I won’t mention it again, Tessa,” Travis rumbled in a whisper as he leaned close to her. “But I think if you take out pink mess, you’ve got the description just right.”

Flustered, she fought the shiver that raced down her spine at both his words and his breath, warm and minty, by her ear. She turned to look at him and found his face close to hers, his intense blue eyes looking into her own. If she wasn’t careful, she could get sucked into the wild vortex that was Travis Thompson and never find her way out again.

“Hey, I see you found her,” Brice said as he plopped down on the other side of Travis, forcing Ken to scoot even further down the bleacher row.  Brice handed Travis a cold pop in a large plastic cup. “Pass that down to the queen bee, would you?”

Travis accepted the pop and started to pass it to Tess. Before she could accept it from him, he took a deep drink then handed it over. Wiggling his eyebrows at her, he grinned.

“You were always a pop hog,” Tess said, taking the cup from him, both annoyed and excited at his behavior. “It’s nice to see you be consistent about some things.”

“Happy to oblige,” he said, leaning back again and putting his arm around her shoulders. The contact made her thoughts muddle while it caused Travis’ temperature to rise a few degrees. He needed to go back behind the chutes and away from the temptation that was Tess. Even in her scrubs, he thought she looked entirely too appealing. When he saw the two drunks hitting on her, it was all he could do to keep from punching in their faces.

Trying to maintain his calm façade, he turned to Brice and they talked about the motorbike race coming up, the rafting trip that Trent and Lindsay were joining in, and the quality of the stock at the rodeo. Tess didn’t really care what they were saying as she lost herself in the cadence of Travis’ voice. She loved to hear him talk, listening to the deep rumble he acquired in the years he’d been gone from home.

“Right, Tess?” Brice asked, catching her daydreaming.

“What’s that?” she asked, flushing slightly, grateful that it was getting dark and the two men sitting next to her wouldn’t notice her red cheeks.

“I asked if you are going to go on the rafting trip with us,” Brice said, giving her a curious look. Something was going on with his sister and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Given more time, though, he’d figure it out.

“I don’t think so,” Tess said with a firm shake of her head. The very last thing she wanted to do was put on a bathing suit and be seen in public. She might have accepted her body, but that didn’t mean she was going to put it on display for a whole group of people to see, especially if one of the group was Travis.

“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun. I think Trey even talked Cady into going,” Travis said, hoping she’d agree to go along, knowing they would all have fun. “It’s just for one day. Surely you can squeeze a little time for us into your very busy social calendar.”

Brice nearly spewed Mountain Dew out his nose. When a coughing fit ensued, Travis thumped him on the back a few times.

“You okay, man?” Travis asked, giving him another thump. Brice held up a hand and drew in a deep breath.

“I’m fine. Just don’t make a joke like that when I’m swallowing,” Brice said, grinning at Travis. “You know good and well Tess doesn’t have a social life. She goes to work, comes home, helps around the ranch, attend church and that’s about it. Social life? That is really funny.”